James Potter's Rules for Dating The Witch of Your Dreams
by EyeSinc
Summary: Because this advice is too good not to write down.


Rule 1- Let her know you love routine. Girls love routine.

From birth to his 13th birthday, the thought of James Potter having any notion of a routine was laughable. His mother would raise an eyebrow, earning you a famous 'Dorea Potter' glare, as she questioned if you even knew the basic elements of her son.

Time wouldn't matter to him. Why? Because he was James Potter! Whole Ministry events had been put on hold as his parents refused to leave his side even when he was ill with a cold! Why eat at the designated time if you're not hungry? Eat 2 hours later when you actually need to eat- even if that means sneaking off into the kitchens. Don't need to sleep till 2am? Don't bother then!

In some ways, he wondered why lessons wouldn't start when he wished, and if he had his way it wouldn't be way until about 1pm.

But then again there were good things to having early lessons.

After his thirteenth birthday, he felt much more like a man than he did just days before. He was a grown up now, and much-_much_- more important than the others who remained 12, mainly lots of slimy Slytherins. But, for some absurd reason including an explosion, his best friend Sirius Black and a certain Snivellus, he and Sirius weren't allowed to sit together. Instead, Slughorn placed him next to Lily Evans, a boring girl who yelled at him a lot for no reason, though her reactions weren't boring. It was fun for James to watch her face go blotchy and her eyes flash.

But at least she was better than Snivellus, Sirius's new partner.

So, with a large sigh and a monologue about loneliness (Taken from Hamlet, much to Slughorn's surprise) he moved sluggishly to the empty seat by Lily Evans, who had scooted over as far away as she possibly could from James' new seat, her nose high in the air.

In that time, much to Black's annoyance, Snivillus had moved over to his new place, and placed his books and parchment onto the desk, prepared for the rest of the lesson, but his eyes were on Lily, sometimes flashing to James as though worried about James treading on his territory.

"You know, you're more stuck up then a hippogriff" he muttered, sitting down and heaving his books onto the table.

"Look Potter" she spun around, her curly red hair like fire around her face "I don't care. This year is over in a few months, and if YOU ruin my O average in Potions, I swear to Merlin I will rip your face off and make Black eat it- understand"

But James wasn't paying attention. He never really paid attention to how green Lily Evans eyes were. They were like, impossibly green. They were greener then the emerald on his mother's favourite necklace. Greener then a leaf. Greener then a turtle.

"What?" she was looking at him strangely, looking up from the notes she was copying down. Oh Merlin, he did not just say that out loud.

Well if he did there was no backing out now.

"I said, greener then a turtle, in reference to your eyes" long words would make her think that he was clever.

Not that he cared.

She merely huffed and faced the front, her lips in a pout.

They were very pretty lips. A pale pink colour with a very distinct Cupids bow, but still full.

And her freckles were pale cinnamon.

And her hair was bright orange.

And her skin was almost white

And her constantly rosy cheeks, a feature he just noticed, were a bright red

"You're every colour of the rainbow!"

"Potter what on Earth are you on about?"

"Well, you have white skin, and green eyes, and red cheeks, and pinks lips and brown-y orange-y freckles and orange hair!"

Lily pulled at the plait thing that went down her shoulder, glaring at him.

"I am not"

"We should go out"

He wasn't sure what made him say it, something just seemed to disconnect from his head and his mouth. He didn't want to date Lily Evans! She was boring and weird and liked Slytherins-

"No"

Wait what?

"What?"

"No, we shouldn't go out" she was back to writing notice now, ink splashing occasionally onto her nose.

James couldn't get his head around it. Even if he did mean it, which he didn't, no one ever denied him anything. James got what he wanted, which wasn't Lily Evans, but if he did want her he would get her-

That's when he realised, and started laughing, biting on his cheek in a pathetic attempt to stop laughing so loudly.

"Very funny Evans"

"What is?"

"The joke, saying you wouldn't, just so comical and performed so well that I almost- _almost_- believed it-"

"I won't date you Potter"

"Still sticking to the act Evans, like a professional-"

"I'm not acting Potter" she said, completely bored "I wouldn't date you if I had to choose between you and a Hinkypunk"

Wait. Suddenly it wasn't funny. She was seriously trying to deny me, James thought, almost snorting at the imposturous idea of it.

"Ok Evans, the joke's gone sour now-"

"Potter" she slammed down her quill, standing up and glaring at him, attracting the attention of the entire class "Get it through your thick head. I. Will. Not. Go. Out. With. You. So. Give. It. Up!" with that she collected her books and stormed out of the classroom, leaving a very confused James behind.

Now, when Lily Evans said those 11 words, she probably thought, in her 13 year old hormonal teenage girl mind, she ended it. No one would ever willingly be publically embarrassed like that again, but she unwittingly started James Potter on something she really regretted. Something that would cause him to repeat the action of asking her out every single day numerous times. Something that wouldn't be broken for years.

She gave him a routine.

But James still didn't like it. He didn't like being embarrassed every time she said no, he didn't like that he was actually falling in love with her a little bit more every day.

But that's the thing with routine, you do it every day with the promise that one day, the out come will be different.

Because one day-one day- she would say yes.


End file.
